Looking more professional, a fashion thread

[El Diablo]

Jared,

Banana Republic is significantly higher quality than Old Navy/Gap, they are different price/quality lines all owned by the same parent company.

I'm in general a fan of solid/plain stuff, but like to have some colors and designs/stripes mixed in from time to time.

Go to a Macy's or Nordstrom and check out what they have. You'll find some things there that are not way out, but still can liven up your wardrobe a bit.

For pants, again, those stores will have plenty, as will a Banana Republic. I prefer pants a little lighter (fabric, not color - most of the pants I wear are grey or black) than dockers or similar khakis.

http://www.revolveclothing.com/ is a good place to check out a bunch of designers that have some more creative/edgy stuff to mix up your style a bit.

In general, though, I'd recommend starting with a trip to someplace like Macy's to start with.

[AnthonyV]

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Can anyone recommend a good tailor in NYC or DC to do custom suits in the $600-1000 range? Or is that range too low to get custom?

Also, if I'm a 40R off the rack almost perfectly, is it worth getting custom suits? I've heard both arguments made strongly on this question.

[*TT*]

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All --

Can anyone recommend a good tailor in NYC or DC to do custom suits in the $600-1000 range? Or is that range too low to get custom?

Also, if I'm a 40R off the rack almost perfectly, is it worth getting custom suits? I've heard both arguments made strongly on this question.

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1 - skip the custom suit route, in that range you wont get what you are looking for. Your much better off buying off the rack and having it tailored since your a 40r. I recommend the tailor on 1st ave & 9th street, I forgot their name but they totally get it - and are affordable.

2 - Get custom shirts instead! I recommend http://www.16sur20.com/, and as an option Thomas Pink. Diablo doesn't agree with me about Pink, I say they are very relevant when getting custom shirts made, best you can find for the dollar.

TT [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]

[El Diablo]

Jared,

BTW, for 1 and 3, I'm more a fan of casual long sleeve t-shirts and sweaters w/ slacks (black/grey is more my style, but nothing wrong w/ khakis) instead of button-down style shirts.

A look like this will work be fine for all sorts of situations:

[gusmahler]

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Grey is much better than black. Black is for funerals.

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Nearly everyone was wearing what I would consider a black suit. Maybe it is really a dark grey. But hardly any cadidates wore light grey suits. I've been told that grey (perhaps light grey) is more appropriate on older men.

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It's probably a charcoal gray. Even navy can look black under certain lighting conditions.

The most conservative suits you can buy (and the ones you start with if building a wardrobe) are 1) navy; 2) charcoal gray; and 3) pinstripe in either navy or charcoal, in that order.

[gusmahler]

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I have a couple of Jos A Banks Trios (suit plus an extra pair of slacks) that should meet several of your criteria. They usually go on sale for about $250.

Linky --- I'd suggest black or navy to start.

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Nice link. So is the whole monotone look not good? I rock it a lot and think it looks fairly classy but I am assuming it probably isnt the best for interviews?

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Monotone (meaning matching slacks and jacket) is standard suit. In fact, non-matching slacks and jack isn't considered a suit by many.

[gusmahler]

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Btw: Can anyone speak to the qualityrice ratio of Jos A Bank clothes? They have always looked nice, but just too expensive for my tastes.

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Jos A Bank is having a big sale now (well, they were last week). Half off of pretty much everything in the store (except shoes, I think). I nearly bought two suits instead of just one. So you should check again soon.

As for the quality, I think the general concensus is that it is slightly above the quality of most department store brands, though not at the level of the more upscale suit brands.

WRT shirts, I like to stick to a single brand simply because I know the fit. E.g., a Nordstrom 16/35 fits me almost perfectly. A Thomas Pink 16/35 is way too tight around the chest. Other brands of 16/35 are too big in the neck. Nordstrom shirts are normally $59 for the wrinkle free and $89 for the more upscale version.

WRT Tie bars, they are out of fashion these days.

As for cuff links, I love them and have several pair. But others have said they are too "gaudy" for an interview. So I'd stick to barrel cuffs for interviewing.

[Hey_Porter]

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I have a couple of Jos A Banks Trios (suit plus an extra pair of slacks) that should meet several of your criteria. They usually go on sale for about $250.

Linky --- I'd suggest black or navy to start.

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Nice link. So is the whole monotone look not good? I rock it a lot and think it looks fairly classy but I am assuming it probably isnt the best for interviews?

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Monotone (meaning matching slacks and jacket) is standard suit. In fact, non-matching slacks and jack isn't considered a suit by many.

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I assumed the use of monotone in this thread refers to EXACTLY matching the shirt and tie. I like this on my Godfather for XBOX 360 character; on myself or others, not so much.

[gusmahler]

Because he said it in reference to the link (which shows a jacket with a matching pair of slacks and a non-matching pair of slacks), I assumed he meant matching the jacket and slacks.

I agree that matching shirt with tie is a no no.

[NajdorfDefense]

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All --

Can anyone recommend a good tailor in NYC or DC to do custom suits in the $600-1000 range? Or is that range too low to get custom?

Also, if I'm a 40R off the rack almost perfectly, is it worth getting custom suits? I've heard both arguments made strongly on this question.

[/ QUOTE ]

1 - skip the custom suit route, in that range you wont get what you are looking for. Your much better off buying off the rack and having it tailored since your a 40r. I recommend the tailor on 1st ave & 9th street, I forgot their name but they totally get it - and are affordable.

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I completely disagree, you can get 3 suits for $2k or less with better fabric, wider selection, perfect fit and free alterations, tailored to your specific body type and cut and look. If you are a perfect 40R who needs no tailoring then off-the-rack is okay, but you're still overpaying for Manhattan rents and 'brand name.'